


The Wingman

by ThatRavenclawBitch



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:15:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23709775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatRavenclawBitch/pseuds/ThatRavenclawBitch
Summary: From the prompt "Flowers, wingman Charming".Posted on tumblr a month ago and now moving it over here.
Relationships: Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Prince Charming | David Nolan & Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold
Comments: 9
Kudos: 59





	The Wingman

Mr. Gold was fairly certain the door to the library was of average weight as far as doors were concerned. He’d never had a problem opening it before and he visited the library on a weekly, if not daily, basis. It typically swung open with nothing more than a gentle nudge of his hand, but somehow it had become an immovable object over night. 

It wasn’t locked. The fact that his hand was currently clasped around the handle and it had cracked open ever so slightly was proof enough of that. But he couldn’t seem to make it budge any further. And so he stood there, stupidly, holding the door handle of the Storybrooke Free Public Library at 11:30 on a Friday morning for the whole town to see. He probably looked as though he were having a stroke. 

“Mr. Gold,” came a concerned voice from behind him and Gold released the door handle at once, watching it fall closed with a gentle thump. He turned to find David Nolan blinking at him in the morning sunlight. “Are you alright?” 

“Fine,” was Gold’s clipped reply. 

David nodded, his gaze falling to Gold’s right arm. “Are those for Belle?”

Gold followed David’s gaze to the bouquet of peonies nestled in the crook of his arm. They were Belle’s favorite, a fact she’d mentioned once in passing months ago now. They were finally in season in late May and he’d seen clusters of them for sale in the florist’s shop down the street. Madness had overcome him for a moment and before he knew what he was doing he’d purchased a bouquet of them and was standing in front of Belle’s place of work, prepared to make an utter fool of himself by giving them to her in public. He might as well write across his forehead in permanent ink that he had a massive crush on the librarian, one he could never hope for her to return. 

And that’s why the door had suddenly felt so heavy. He’d come to his senses, realizing the mortification he was about to subject himself to and worst of all, the embarrassment he’d be forcing on Belle when she realized his inappropriate feelings toward her and was forced to let him down gently. 

“No, of course not,” he snapped on instinct, realizing a moment too late that walking into the library with a bouquet of flowers that were not for Belle was an even stranger set of circumstances. “They’re for my mother,” he added lamely. 

David’s brows knitted together. “Your mother,” he repeated. “Does she live in town?” 

Gold felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. He was usually a much more adept liar, but he’d been caught so off guard. In truth he had no idea where his mother might be or even if she was still alive. She’d left his father when he was little more than a baby and never seen fit to track him down in the fifty years since. 

“No,” he said again, relying on his fearsome reputation and years of masking his emotions to fix David with an icy glare, daring the other man to call his bluff. 

David crossed his brawny arms across his chest, shaking his head slightly with a smile. Gold was apparently losing his touch when it came to intimidation tactics. 

“They’re for Belle,” he said knowingly. 

He’d figured him out, of course. David wasn’t the smartest tool in the shed, but he wasn’t a complete idiot either. Still, there were worse people who could have witnessed his shame. At least David was kind. 

“Well, I’m here to pick up some summer reading books for Emma,” David said, clapping his hands together. “So I’m going to go inside, go to the children’s section, and find the shelf with the fourth grade reading list.” 

Gold nodded dumbly, wondering why David Nolan was explaining his actions to him. 

“I assume Neal will also need to pick out his summer reading books,” David continued. “Would you like to come in with me?” 

Gold had already purchased Neal’s summer reading books on Amazon last week, but it seemed imprudent to say so. David was offering him a reason to enter the library other than making a fool of himself in front of Belle. 

“Alright,” he agreed, shifting the flowers in the crook of his arm to his left hand and tightening his grip on the handle of his cane. 

David gave him a smile, reaching around him to hold the door open. There was a blast of cool air from inside, the smell of books, leather and paper, and the slightest trace of the heady scent of Belle’s perfume on the air. God he was hopeless. 

“Hello!” Belle said brightly from the circulation desk as they entered. She was wearing yellow today, the color absolutely sublime in contrast with her dark hair, spilling over her shoulders in tousled waves. 

“Hey, Belle,” David said, giving her a wave. “We’re looking for the fourth grade summer reading list.” 

“Of course,” Belle said, jumping up from her place behind the desk and walking over to them. Her sunny yellow top was tucked in to a short black skirt, miles of her pale, perfect legs on display. She was wearing a pair of black and white heels that added a full four inches to her diminutive frame, bringing her almost up to Gold’s height. She was perfect and beautiful and oh, God, he was staring. Gold suddenly turned his attention to the corkboard beside the front door advertising upcoming community events. 

“Right this way,” Belle said, beckoning them to follow her, her skirt swishing about her thighs. Gold had to avert his eyes once again. 

She led them to the back where the small children’s section was and picked up a purple binder with pages of book titles encased in plastic sheet protectors. 

“Right here,” she said, laying the binder open on top of one of the low bookshelves to the page for the local school’s fourth grade class. David leaned over it, perusing the titles and Belle turned to Gold, gifting him with the full force of her beautiful smile and sparkling blue eyes. 

“How are you today, Mr. Gold?” she asked. 

“Oh I’m magnificent,” he said, returning her smile stupidly. 

Belle laughed as though he’d told a hilarious joke and Gold heard a snort from David behind him. He chose to ignore it. 

“Oh, those are beautiful!” Belle exclaimed, taking notice of the flowers in Gold’s grip. “Did you know peonies are my absolute favorite flower?”

“Are they?” Gold said, feigning surprise and pointedly ignoring the look David was giving him as he searched the bookshelves. “What a happy accident. Why don’t you take them?” 

Belle’s eyes widened. “Oh, I couldn’t take your flowers.” 

“Please,” Gold said, holding them out to her. “I insist. They’ll brighten up your desk.” 

Belle bit her lip, masking a smile. “Alright,” she agreed, taking the bouquet from him, her fingers brushing against his. “If you insist. But a gift for a gift. You give me flowers, I owe you tea.” 

“Tea?” he asked. 

“Yeah,” Belle said with a nod. “I’ve got a nice assortment in my office and my break is in twenty minutes. Care to join me?” 

Gold’s brain had short-circuited. He knew an answer was required, but the idea of being alone with Belle in her office seemed like a disaster waiting to happen. At the same time there was no possible way he could say no. His mind rebelled at the very idea. 

“He’d love to,” David said, clapping him on the back. For a moment he’d forgotten the other man was there. “And I think I have everything I need here, so I’ll just check out and get out of your hair.” 

“Alright,” Belle said, taking the books from David’s outstretched hand and walking him back to the circulation desk. Gold followed them, his own hands conspicuously empty. 

He watched with pride as Belle fished a vase out from under her desk and arranged the peonies, setting them in pride of place before checking out David’s books. It was a matter of moments before David was all done, and headed to the front doors. He stopped by Gold’s side, leaning in closely.

“She likes you, man,” he whispered. “Just trust me. You’re in.” 

Gold swallowed thickly, watching as David left the library, giving him a wink over his shoulder. 

“Mr. Gold,” Belle said, pulling Gold’s attention back to her. “Would you like some tea?” 

“Yes,” Gold said, smiling in earnest. “That would be lovely.”

Belle nodded, blushing a fetching shade of pink as she motioned down the hall to her office. 

Maybe, by some strange twist of fate, she did like him after all. And to think he’d never have known if he hadn’t plucked up the courage to walk in to the library. 

God bless David Nolan. 


End file.
